If you think the Mediterranean diet is all about pasta and olive oil, think again: Real Mediterranean cuisine comprises not just the foods of Italy, but Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, Israel, Spain, provencal France, Morocco and Tunisia, too. It’s a riotous mix of tastes, from sticky, sweet baklava to creamy, garlicky hummus to chewy calamari.

Considered by many to be one of the healthiest diets in the world, the Mediterranean diet and healthful lifestyle was associated with more than a 50 percent lowering of early death rates, in a 10-year study published in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA.)

What makes it so healthy, and so different from a typical American diet? This cheat sheet, compiled with the help of Sara Baer-Sinnott, president of Oldways Preservation Trust , a non-profit organization dedicated to reconnecting people with healthy traditional diets, and Nancy Harmon Jenkins, author of The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook, makes it easy for you.

THE BENEFITSHealthier hearts. Cuts odds of dying from heart disease by as much as 33 percentLess diabetes. Lowers risk of type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome (a diabetes precursor) by 83 percentCancer protection. Drops death rates from cancer by 24 percent and reduces rates of breast, prostate and other cancersBrain defense. Reduces risk of Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease by almost halfBetter bones. Helps to prevent age-related bone loss that can lead to osteoporosis